Apparatus for stretching continuous filament textile material



p 1947- 'T. JACKSON ET AL ,427,054

APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING CONTINUOUS FILAMENT TEXTILE MATERIAL Filed001;. 7, 1941 A A77 N Patented Sept- 9, 1947 APPARATUS FOR STRETCHINGCONTINU- OUS FILAMENT TEXTILE MATERIAL Thomas Jackson and FrankBrentnall Hill,

Spondon, near Derby, England, assignors to Celanese Corporation ofAmerica, a corporation of Delaware Application October '1, 1941, SerialNo. 413,954 In Great Britain October 30, 1940 7 Claims.- (Cl. 28-59.5)

This invention relates to the stretching of continuous filament textilematerials, especially materials having a basis of cellulose acetate orother organic derivative of cellulose, for example cellulose formate,propionate, or butyrate, and ethyl and benzyl cellulose.

' British Patents Nos. 438,584, 438,585, 438,586, 438,587 and 438,656described processes in which continuous filaments are stretched with theaid of wet steam or hot water, and U. S. Patents Nos. 2,142,909 and2,142,910describe similar processes in which the filaments are fed to astretching chamber .by means of a feed device in a "feed chamber"containing air or other fluid under pressure. U. S. application S. No.355,357, filed September 4, 1940, describes the stretching of a sliverof continuous filaments, i. e. a bundle that may total 20,000 or 30,000,or more denier, to produce material that is cut into staple fibre.

According to the invention, a method 1 of stretching continuous filamentmaterials comprises forming a sliver-like bundle by assembling a numberof smaller threads of continuous filaments side-by-side, passing saidbundle into a stretching chamber through an opening in the form of aslit of a length and width such as to embrace closely the assembly ofsmaller threads, and stretching the sliver-like bundle in saidstretching chamber. The stretched bundle leaves the stretching chamberby an orifice having a cross-sectional area appropriately reduced inaccordance with the amount of stretch applied, the shape of the orificeadvantageously appreaching the circular because of the tendency of theoriginally fiat bundle to assume cylindrical form under the stretchingtension.- The threads may enter the feed chamber preceding thestretching chamber by a slit, so that they remain in warp or ribbon formas they pass the nip rollers or other feed device in the chamber and aredelivered in that form to the inlet slit of the stretching chamber.

The stretching of cellulose acetate filaments enables strengths of 4.5grams per denier upwards to be obtained, and the invention isadvantageous in that the warp or ribbon formations ensures that a highincrement of strength results in spite of the heavy weight of filamentsundergoing simultaneous treatment. At the same time, each stretchingapparatus can handle a large number of slivers, because the side-bysidedisposition of the individual threads occupies the minimum of width.

The slits employed closely embrace the-warp or ribbon, and thus cutsdown loss offiuld from the stretching chamber to the feed chamber,

and from the feed chamber to the atmosphere. Either or both oi the slitsmay be formed by the juxtaposition of twoappropriately shaped adjustableplates, which may be separated to facilitate threading up and afterwardsbrought closer together. The outlet orifice may likewise be madeadjustable, both to facilitate threading and to allow for the reductionin siiversize after stretch has been applied.

Combs may be used to guide the threads in the desired side-by-sideformation into the slits. For simultaneously producing 4 or 5 slivers ofstretched filaments each totalling 9000 denier, the filaments may be ledinto the stretching apparatus through a corresponding number ofv slits1" long and 0.044 wide, each slit taking 38 threads of 2400 deniertotalling approximately 90,000 denier, which can then be stretched 10times. The 38 threads substantially fill the slit, both along its lengthand acrossits width, and thus cut down loss of fluid through the slit.There is, however, suflicient freedom to minimise chafing or abrasion ofthe threads, and there is also the possibility of twisting-in anotherthread or a broken thread during the running.

of the operation. The several slits may be arranged in line, withsuilicient space between adjacent ends to ensure that the bands offilaments do not contact with each other in their passage through theapparatus. Other arrangements of the slits may, however, be used; for

example, they may be arranged in two or more The threads of filamentsmay be supplied froni balls, cheeses, or other packages or from cans,and the stretched filaments may be formed into similar wound packages orcollected in cans. The stretched filaments may, if. desired, be twisted,either by twisting the stretched sliver like bundle as such, or bytwisting multiples of such bundles together, or fractions thereofseparately.

Stretched filaments of cellulose acetate or other cellulose ester may besaponified in order to acquire a strength or 6 grams per denier or more.In the case of filaments intended for staple fibre, saponification maybe effected before or after cutting. If the saponification is to followcutting, the cutting may be eflected continuously with the delivery ofthe filaments from the stretching apparatus.

The stretched material may also be shrunk, e. g., by the processdescribed in U. S. Patent No. 2,058,422 for the purpose of increasingits extensibility, and after shrinking, the material may be saponified.

The stretching of the filaments enables various final deriers to beobtained by suitable choice of initial denier and amount of stretch. Ingeneral, a stretch of 10 times may be employed, but

much greater stretches than this, e. g., 20 times or 100 times, may beused, and this latitude in the amount of stretch enables the finalfilament denier to be adjusted in accordance with the filament denierthat may be most advantageously obtained in the initial spinning of thefilaments. Thus, initial denier and amount of stretch may be adjusted sothat final filament deniers of 0.4/0.5 to 1.0 are obtained, but heavierdeniers and finer deniers (e. g. 0.1) may readily be obtained ifdesired. The choice of final filament denier and the range of lengthsinto which the filaments may be cut enables staple fibre of differentcharacteristics to be produced. As regards length, the fibre may be cutto resemble cotton, say 1.5 to 2", worsted, say 3.5" upwards, or linen,say 5 to 10".

By way'oi. example some forms or apparatus t e f rrying out theinvention will now be described in greater detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional side elevation of the entireapparatus,

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the input end of the stretching apparatusproper, partly broken away to show internal details,

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the output end of the stretching apparatus,

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary plan views of the details shown in Figs. 2and 3 respectively,

Fig. 6 shows an alternative form of feeding means for the apparatusshown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 shows an alternative form of take-up means.

Referring to Fig. 1, a number of sliver cans I,

are provided, from each of which an individual end or thread ofcontinuous filament 2 is taken, and drawn through a tension device 3.From the tension device 3 the ends 2 proceed to a reed 4 by means ofwhich they are assembled side by side to form three sliver-like bundles5 each of fiat cross-section, the bundles 5 being drawn into a chamber 6by means of drawing rollers 1 contained within the chamber. The fiatbundles 5 enter the chamber 6 through three slits 8 (as shown in Fig.2), formed in a plate 9 bolted over a hole I in the front wall of thechamber 6. The slits 8 are of a length and width such as to embraceclosely the cross-section of the sliver-like bundles passing throughthem.

From the chamber 6 the bundles 5 pass into a chamber I3 where stretchingtakes place, the

effected by supplying air, under a pressure slightly lower than that inthe chamber I 3, to the chamber 4 by means or a supply pipe I2.

The flat sliver-like bundles 5 pass from the chamber 6 to the chamber I3 through three openings I4, similar in shape and size to the openings 8in the plate 9, and formed between the edges of two plates I5 and I6,the edge of the plate I5 being shaped so as to form wide shallowgrooves, while the plate I6 has a fiat edge which serves to close theupper sides of the grooves to form the slots I4. The plate I6-is mountedso as to slide vertically between slides I1 and is operated by means ofa screw I8 passing through a lug I9 integral with the rear face of thechamber 6 and connected to a lug 20 projecting from the plate I6. Aknurled knob 2| is provided at the upper end of the screw I8. v

For the purpose of threading up the apparatus, the top plate 22 of thechamber 6 is removed irom its flanges, giving access to the interior ofthe chamber, and the plate I6 is raised by means of the screw I6. Thesliver-like bundles are threaded through the openings 8 and are passedbetween the separated plates I5 and I6, into the chamber I3 where theycan be secured from the other end of the chamber 53 and drawn out. Theother end of the chamber I3 is shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and is of theform described in U. S. application S. No. 342,494, filed June 26, 1940,now Patent No. 2,299,145. The arrangement comprises two overlappingplates 23, 24, each having three pear-shaped apertures 25, 26, therein.The plate 23 is fixed and the plate 24 is capable of sliding verticallybetween guides 21, being actuated by means of a screw 28 working in lugs29, 30, and actuated by a knob 3|, similar to the arrangements I8 to 2|shown in Fig. 2. For the purpose of threading up, the plate 24 isadjusted with reference to the plate 23 so that the large ends of eachof the three pairs of apertures 25, 26, coincide to form a largeaperture through which the three sliver-like bundles 5 passed into thechamber I 3 may be drawn. From th apertures 25, 26, the sliver-likebundles 5 are passed to stretching rollers 29.

After the bundles 5 have been drawn through the apparatus as describedabove and passed to the stretching rollers 29 the slit-like apertures I4(Fig.2) are closed, the plate I6 being brought down on the plate I5 bymeans of the screw I8. The apparatus is then set in operation andbrought to full strength, e. g. by the means described in U. S.application S. No. 372,108, filed December 28, 1940, now Patent No.2,276,394, so that the bundles 5 are stretched in the chamber I3. Whenthe full stretch has been reached the plate 24 is adjusted by means ofthe screw 28 so as to bring the small ends or the pear shaped openings25, 26 into coincidence so that the three apertures through which thestretched bundles 5 pass are reduced in size and closely surround thebundles. The stretched bundles are then conducted from the rollers 29,over and under threedrying drums 30, and thence to a take-up arrangementcomprising a pair of swifts 3|, the bars 32 of which are arranged toalternate, the bars of one swiftfalling between the bars of the other asthe swifts are rotated so as to form a nip for the passage of thebundles 5. The rotating swifts 3| lead the bundles 5 into sliver-cans33, by means of which the stretched bundles are collected.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, the slivercans I, 33 are used both forthe purpose of supplying the separate ends to the apparatus and for thepurpose or collecting the stretched sliverlike bundles. Other means may,however, be employed for this purpose. For example, as shown in Fig. 6,the separate ends 2 may be drawn from a creel 35 carrying a number ofcheeses or other packages 36, through guides 31 and so to the reed 4 andchamber 6. Again, as shown in Fig. 7, the stretched bundles 5 comingfrom the drying drums 30 may be passed over the reed IO and thence to atake-up creel comprising a plurality of winding devices 39 and traverseguides 49, by means of which the bundles 5 are wound in the form ofcheeses or other packages 4!.

Having described our invention, what we desire to secure by LettersPatent is:

1. Apparatus for the stretching of continuous filament materialcomprising means for assembling side by side into a sliver-like bundleof flat cross-section a number of smaller threads of continuousfilaments, a stretching chamber having an opening for the entry of saidbundle in the form of a slit of 'a length and width such as to embracesaid bundle closely and means for drawing said bundle through saidopening and through said stretching chamber in such a manneras tostretch the filaments of said bundle.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the stretching chamber hasoutlet openings substantially circular in shape and of a cross-sectionsubstantially equal to the cross-section of the stretched sliver-likebundle.

3. Apparatus for the stretching of continuous filament materialcomprising means for assembling side by side into a sliver-like bundleoil flat cross-section a number of smaller threads of continuousfilaments, a feed chamber having an opening for the entry of said bundlein the form of a slit of a length and width such as to embrace saidbundle closely, a stretching cham ber following said feed chamber andentered therefrom by a slit-like opening of a size and shape similar tothat of said feed chamber and means for drawing said bundle through saidopenings and through said stretching chamber in such a-manner as tostretch the filaments of said bundle.

t. Apparatus for the stretching of continuous filament materialcomprising means for assembling side by side into a sliver-like bundleof fiat cross-section a number of smaller threads of continuousfilaments, a feed chamber havin an opening for the entry of said bundlein the form of a, slit of a length and width such as to embrace saidbundle closely, a stretching chamber following said feed chamber andentered threads of continuous filaments. means tor assembling saidthreads side by side to iorm a sliver-like bundle of flat cross-section,a stretching chamber having an opening for the entry of said bundle inthe form of a slit of a length and width such as to embrace said bundleclosely and means for drawing said bundle through said form of a slit ofa length and width such as to embrace said bundle closely, means fordrawing said bundle through said opening and through said stretchingchamber in such a manner as to stretch the filaments of said bundle anda takeup device for the stretched sliver-like bundle inthe form oi. apair of inter-engaging swiits adapted to form a nip to feed thestretched bundle into a sliver-can.

7. Apparatus for the stretching of continuous filament materialcomprising means for drawing from a plurality of sliver-cans a number ofsmall threads of continuous filaments, means for assembling said threadsside by side to form a sliver-like bundle of flat cross-section, a feedchamber having an opening for the entry of said bundle in the form of aslit of a length and width such as to embrace said bundle closely, astretching chamber following said feed chamber and entered therefrom bya slit-like opening of a size and shape similar to that of said feedchamber, said stretching chamber having an outlet opening substantiallycircular in shape and of a cross-section substantially equal to thecross-section of-the stretched sliver-like bundle, means for drawingsaid bundle through said openings and through said stretching chamber insuch a manner as to stretch the filaments of said bundle, and a take-updevice for the stretched sliver-like bundle in the form oil a pair 4 ofinter-engaging swifts adapted to form a nip to feed the stretched bundleinto a sliver-can. THOMAS JACKSON.

, FRANK BRENTNALL HILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNI'IEH) STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,142,912 Moncriefl Jan. 3,1939 2,142,910 Moncriefl Jan. 3, 1939 2,228,260 Dreyfus et al Jan. 14,1941 1,904,885 Seeley Apr. 18, 1933 2,142,909 Moncrieif et al Jan. 3,1939 2,142,911 Moncriefl et al Jan. 3, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 323,790 Great Britain Jan. 16, 1930 352,445 Great BritainJuly 8, 1931 Certificate of Correction Patent N 0. 2,427,054. September9, 1947.

THOMAS JACKSON ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Column 4,line 53, for the word" strength read stretch; and that the said LettersPatent should be read with this coofxfirection therein that the same mayconform to the record of the case in the Patent Signed and sealed this4th day of November, A. D. 1947.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Gammz'ssizmer of Patents.

